This invention relates to a pistol grip hose nozzle. More specifically, this invention relates to a pistol grip hose nozzle with a flow cylinder which has a non-circular outlet permitting roughly linearly proportional water flow to the valve actuation.
It is well known that certain irrigation devices allow some form of user control over the flow rate which is issued from the device. Typically, an irrigation device may be a pistol grip hose nozzle. A typical pistol-grip nozzle includes a tubular body having a handle portion connectable at one end to a garden hose. The body has a fixed barrel portion extending from the opposite end of the hose connector at an angle similar to the angle between the handle and barrel of a pistol. The water stream issues from the nozzle at the forward end of the barrel. The pattern and flow rate of the water stream is determined by a valve stem extending through the barrel portion and outwardly through the rear end thereof. The movement of the stem is controlled by a pivoted actuating lever or knob which enabling the user to grip the handle portion and rotate the knob to adjust the water stream issuing from the nozzle. Rotating the knob opens the valve by rotating a flow cylinder. The flow cylinder has an outlet to the barrel and a circular port which is accessed by the flow in the handle portion by opening the valve. Once the knob is turned, the flow cylinder rotates and exposes the circular port to water flow thus opening the valve.
Certain pistol-grip type hose nozzles allow a user to separately control the pattern of the water stream and the flow rate. The pistol-grip type hose nozzle allows ease of use because the stream varying structure may be moved into and out of its fully closed position from and into any operating position. Additionally, a user may operate the pistol nozzle with only one hand since only one hand is required both to hold the nozzle and rotate the knob to actuate the water stream.
However, because the area of the circular opening in the valve is not linearly proportional to the water flow, the water flow is not proportional to the distance the trigger is depressed. Thus, it is difficult for a user to control the water stream in a conventional pistol barrel type hose nozzle since the user cannot gauge the water flow accurately based on the degree of trigger depression. Additionally, changing the flow pattern of the water stream necessitates changing the flow rate in existing hose nozzles.
The inability to linearly relate the amount of water flow to the degree of valve actuation is endemic to many other valve operated devices such as sprinklers. Devices such as sprinklers require constant and proportional water flow to prevent over watering and to conserve water. Thus, the inability to control water flow precisely through a valve impedes the ability to predict irrigation patterns and precipitation.
Thus, there exists a need for a valve which permits proportional water flow from the actuation of the valve. There also exists a need for a pistol grip nozzle which permits water flow proportional to the actuation of the trigger. There is also a need for an adaptable valve which may be used for metal or plastic irrigation components. There is additionally a need for a hose nozzle which provides flow control without changing the flow pattern.
The present invention is embodied in a hose nozzle for attachment to a watersource and for flow control of water spray. The hose nozzle has an inlet passage and an arcuate wall having an aperture in fluid communication with the inlet passage. A valve has a rotatable water flow cylinder and is in contact with the arcuate wall. The water flow cylinder has a non-circular opening which when rotated to be aligned with the aperture allows water flow proportional to the position of the water flow cylinder into the water flow cylinder. An outlet passage is in fluid communication with the interior of the water flow cylinder.
The invention is also embodied in a hose nozzle with a fixed body structure including a grip portion and a barrel portion extending at an angle from the grip portion. A flow control knob is mounted on the grip portion and has turning movement about a fore and aft extending axis. The body structure defines an interior water passage including an inlet passage portion extending through the hand grip portion and an outlet passage portion extending from the inlet passage portion through the barrel portion. The inlet passage portion has an inlet end formed with a hose end fitting so as to communicate a source of water under pressure contained within a hose with the inlet passage portion. A valve seat in the inlet passage portion is in spaced relation with the inlet end in a position adjacent the outlet passage portion. A valve is mounted in the hand grip portion in cooperating relation with the valve seat in a position within the inlet passage portion for movement between opened and closed positions to control the flow of water under pressure communicated with the inlet passage portion to the outlet passage portion past the valve seat from zero flow when the valve is in a closed position to full flow when the valve is in the opened position and varying flow rates therebetween when the valve is in varying positions between the closed and opened positions. The flow rate is approximately linearly proportional to the rotational position of the valves between the open and closed positions. The knob is connected with the valve so that the position the knob is moved determines the flow rate of the water under pressure flowing to the outlet passage portion.
Another embodiment of the invention is a proportional flow valve assembly for regulating water flow between two water conduits. There is a valve seat fluidly connecting the two water conduits. The flow valve assembly includes a rotatable flow cylinder having an enclosed top surface, an open bottom, and a side surface with a non-circular opening. The flow cylinder is shaped to fit within the valve seat to block water flow between the two water conduits. A valve stem is coupled to the enclosed top surface. The flow cylinder is rotated to allow water flow between the two water conduits. The water flows through the non-circular opening in linear proportion to the angle of rotation of the flow cylinder and out the open bottom of the flow cylinder.